Eversource heading to the skies to check condition of power lines

Helicopters, infared cameras will assess condition of power lines

Published
7:26 pm EST, Monday, February 16, 2015

Coming to airspace near you in Connecticut: Helicopters checking out electric transmission lines.

Eversource Energy was scheduled to begin its annual winter assessment of transmission lines Monday in Fairfield and Litchfield counties. But with gusty winds and snow being forecast on Monday, Frank Poirot, an Eversource spokesman, wasn’t able to confirm whether the work had begun.

“Typically, they like it to be clear, with winds of no more than 10 miles per hour,” Poirot said.

The company has allotted two weeks and a pair of Bell helicopters to conduct the aerial inspections of the roughly 820 miles’ worth of transmission lines in the state, he said.

“There’s not really two weeks’ worth of work, but we recognize that there can be weather-related issues that keep the helicopters from flying on a given day,” Poirot said. The inspections are carried out seven days per week between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. and are expected to conclude in eastern Connecticut on Feb. 28, he said.

The helicopters are equipped with infrared cameras that capture images not visible to the naked eye, he said. The advantage of doing the assessment in winter, Poirot said, is that with the cold air and the heat coming from transmission lines, “we’re able to get a much clearer image.”

“We have lines out there that been performing reliably for 20 or 30 years,” he said. “But these images identify the early stages of possible damage, whether it’s from environmental impact or some other issue.”

Eversource also conducts a summer infrared inspection, Poirot said.

The company notifies police departments of the towns they will be flying over on a given day, in advance of its helicopter transmission line assessment, he said.

“We’ve found the police get calls from the public when helicopters are flying low,” Poirot said.